Tomato Pasta Sauce
Serves: 3 to 4
A quick and easy Tomato Pasta Sauce which you can serve simply with pasta or use in a variety of recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 800 g (28 oz) canned diced tomatoes, OR canned cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- black pepper, freshly cracked
- parsley, finely chopped
- basil, finely chopped
Instructions
- Pour the oil into a medium-sized skillet or saucepan.
- Add the butter, if using.
- Heat the pan over medium heat until the butter has melted.
- Add the onion and garlic to the cold oil, together with a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Sauté over medium-high heat until the onion and garlic have softened.
- Add the canned tomatoes, together with the sugar, salt and some pepper to taste.
- Simmer the mixture over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes.
- Stir the mixture frequently, and use a wooden spoon to help break down the tomatoes.
- If the mixture has thickened too much, thin it with some boiling water.
- Taste for seasoning. Depending on the acidity of your canned tomatoes, you might need to add some more sugar.
- Stir through the chopped herbs, and reserve some herbs for garnishing.
Kitchen Notes
- IN A HURRY?
Simply leave out the onions, and use tomato passata (tomato purée) for a shorter cooking time. - USE DIFFERENT SPICES
Some suggestions for variations include:
* Add 1-2 teaspoons of crushed red peppers (dried chilli flakes) to the onions and garlic for a spicy kick.
* Add 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs to the onions and garlic.
* Add or substitute fresh marjoram or oregano. - ADD VEGETABLES
Add some chopped vegetables to the onions and garlic, such as:
* courgette (zucchini), cut into large slices
* aubergine (eggplant), cut into small dice
* capsicums (bell peppers), cut into large dice - OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook. - CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.